How demanding is the NROTC program?

[redmidgrl]

While I agree with pretty much everyone who has answered your questions, I'd like to add something: NROTC can be as demanding as you make it.

For example, there were many in my NROTC unit who let it consume their entire lives in college -- it was the only thing they did.

On the other hand, I felt like I had chosen NROTC over the academy in order to pursue additional interests in college. With 8 hours of sleep per night and some serious time management, I was able to complete 5 internships, participate in 3 pretty demanding university organizations (including leadership positions in 2 of them), and participate in athletics outside of the university. This is all on top of having several high billets in the unit, working out almost every day, and ensuring that I made good grades.

Ultimately, NROTC is whatever you make of it and you'll get out what you put into it. It is definitely a great option as a commissioning source, so I recommend taking full advantage of your time in NROTC as well as your time off.

Good luck!
~Red

 

[Mmlz]

I agree. If you're looking for a full-time military education, try the Academy. If you're looking for a once-a-week thing, try any old ROTC place. If you're looking for something in the middle, hit up a senior military. None of them are particularly better or worse than the other, its just a question of how much military do you want...

Personally, I went for the senior military because I didn't want to do the once-a-week thing (my logic was that I would be unprepared for the daily rigor) but on the same token I didn't want to be an Academy person who had absolutely no life.

However, your experience may be different, as it is with every ROTC unit across the whole nation. ASK your coordinator at the school you're interested in. I know some guys who went through Auburn, they're good guys. Conversely, I know some guys who went through places elsewhere that are complete schmucks.

I'm sorry to bring up an old thread but what do you mean by contacting a Senior Military? Just asking them for advice? I've been looking at all my options and want to make sure I'm not missing one.

 

[wink]

I'm sorry to bring up an old thread but what do you mean by contacting a Senior Military?

I am confused by that phraseology too.

Just to highlight something. Every Recruiting District HQ has one or more NROTC Coordinators. They are senior NCOs that track your progress with the app, answer questions and conduct an interview. They are not really officer recruiters. This is the contact info you will get from the on line app. They are goaled with a quota of completed applications only. It doesn't matter to them whether you get the scholarship or not, or whether or not you accept it. Keep in mind these guys are senior enlisted and therefore, have never been in the NROTC program. They are informed about the application process and how best to be compete for the scholarship. If you ask questions about midshipman life on the campus of the University of Arizona or Cornell, they can't help you.

In addition to the NRD NROTC Coordinators, every NROTC unit has at least one of their Naval Science Instructors ( a fleet experienced junior officer) assigned to deal with the applicants questions specifically applying for their school. So, if you are talking to a LT at a college that is nice. He will tell you about that program and life at that school. BUT, you should also be dealing with the NROTC Coordinator at a Recruiting District HQ. Two different people with two different things to offer you. Use them both if you wish, but you must use the services of the NRD NROTC Coordinator.

 

[JhwK08]

I believe he meant civilian schools with ROTC programs that are more intense than average such as VMI, The Citadel, etc.

 

[torpedo0126]

In addition to the NRD NROTC Coordinators, every NROTC unit has at least one of their Naval Science Instructors ( a fleet experienced junior officer) assigned to deal with the applicants questions specifically applying for their school. So, if you are talking to a LT at a college that is nice. He will tell you about that program and life at that school. BUT, you should also be dealing with the NROTC Coordinator at a Recruiting District HQ. Two different people with two different things to offer you. Use them both if you wish, but you must use the services of the NRD NROTC Coordinator.

I apologize if I was confusing. This is what I was referring to when I said contact 'both." I spoke directly with the LTs in charge of recruiting in the schools. The coordinators, as wink said, contacted me about the application process.

However, on your application, the recruiting coordinators at the schools should be notified if you put them on your application (I forget what the electronic form is called). Proactive LTs usually will give you a call or maybe send you some informational pamphlets (at leasts thats what we did). Even if they don't, hop online and grab the units contact information off their websites.

 

[wink]

I believe he meant civilian schools with ROTC programs that are more intense than average such as VMI, The Citadel, etc.

Um, well, I understand the distinction between schools like VMI and most others. But I have never heard the distinction referred to by that phrase and it doesn't make any intuitive sense. Did that just come from desertoasis' imagination?

 

[torpedo0126]

Um, well, I understand the distinction between schools like VMI and most others. But I have never heard the distinction referred to by that phrase and it doesn't make any intuitive sense. Did that just come from desertoasis' imagination?

Here we go. Its actually "Senior Military College." There are six of them. Here is the wikipedia quote and link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Military_College

===============

In the United States, a Senior Military College (SMC) is one of six colleges that offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs and are specifically recognized under 10 USC 2111(a). The six senior military colleges are:

• North Georgia College & State University; Dahlonega, Georgia
• Norwich University; Northfield, Vermont
• Texas A&M University; College Station, Texas
• The Citadel; Charleston, South Carolina
• Virginia Military Institute; Lexington, Virginia
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Blacksburg, Virginia

Under U.S. law and U.S. Army regulations, there are three types of ROTC programs administered, each with a different element. In addition to ROTC at Senior Military Colleges, there are ROTC programs at civilian colleges and at Military Junior Colleges.

 

[sdhitt]

NROTC Experience

I'm not sure if this topic has been brought up before or not, but I would love to hear about your experiences in NROTC and feelings about the program.

What unit/school were you in?
Did you find it really time consuming?
Did it prepare you for OCS/Fleet?
What did you like or dislike about the program?
If you could go back, would you choose to do it again?

I'm applying for a Marine scholarship and I'm just doing a little bit of research. Thanks!

 

[Bevo16]

Just kidding, just kidding.

Texas was great.

They treat you like an adult, but give enough supervision to make sure that you don't fail at the primary mission (passing your classes). There is a mandatory study program for the first semester or so, but once you get your grades you are on your own. The study areas and computer lab are slick enough that you don't mind studying there, and it's a good way to make friends with your classmates. The view ain't bad either.

You will finish your Naval Science program at Texas as well prepared to be an officer as any other school in the country. You will know that you don't know everything, which is much better than some more intense programs that ship you out thinking that you have it wired because of how "hard" their ROTC program is. You will know the basics and be prepared to handle your first challenges as an officer.

When I was there, the CO we had for my first two years was a USMC Colonel. He was a fantastic officer and every bit a Marine. We wore uniforms twice a week, and he scheduled the classes so that you were in the building daily. When a Navy Captain took over, we only wore uniforms once a week, and the class schedules were a little more random (some Tuesday/Thursday Naval Science classes so you could only end up in the building twice a week).

There was a sailing program on Lake Travis at the time, but that may not still be going on. Rufio?

The women and night life are incredible. There are other good college towns out there, but Austin is at the top of the list.

The athletics are also top notch, and every sport has a strong student following. All of the stadiums are on campus, so they are easy to support.

 

[NavAir42]

I'm not sure if this topic has been brought up before or not, but I would love to hear about your experiences in NROTC and feelings about the program.

What unit/school were you in?
Did you find it really time consuming?
Did it prepare you for OCS/Fleet?
What did you like or dislike about the program?
If you could go back, would you choose to do it again?

I'm applying for a Marine scholarship and I'm just doing a little bit of research. Thanks!

I'm sure most of this can be searched but here goes anyway:

Oregon State University/NROTC

Was it time consuming: I guess that depends on your point of view. Compared to the Academy? No it wasn't. Compared to how the average college kid spends his time, yes. Plan on being at the unit building most days. Maybe not everyday but most. We had PT one day a week and drill another. Two to three days a week you had naval science, which typically aren't the toughest classes. In between, most freshmen were expected to be on the drill team. After your freshman year you didn't have to do anything but it was highly "encouraged". For my sophomore through senior years I was part of the rifle team. That kind of activity kind of varies by school though.

I was Navy, so I didn't have to play the whole OCS game. Of the Marines I was friends with and that I'm still more or less in contact with, I would say our MOI and AMOI did an excellent job preparing most of our Marine options for OCS and TBS. Preparation for the fleet, as was said before, you learn enough to know what you don't know. You were taught enough to know to keep your mouth shut and ears open until you knew how to do your job. After that NROTC and the fleet are two very different animals.

I liked Oregon State for a lot of reasons. Corvallis is a pretty typical college town. Great bars, ok places to eat. A good football team in the fall, a terrible basketball team (hopefully getting better) and a great baseball team in the spring. The school is big enough to offer lots of different classes and majors but not so big that you go to school with 55,000 of your best friends. There wasn't much I disliked about either Oregon State or the NROTC program.

I would do it all over again if I had to. College was a great time.

 

[d3west86]

Ole Miss was a lot of fun (navy option). We were a very small unit - 30 MIDN and 5-7 OCs/MECEPs. PT was 3 times a week (4 for Marine options). Drill was mando for the frosh. Other than that we occasionally had stuff on the weekends. Almost everyone had a billet because of the size of the unit. No worries...just fun times...

 

[PSU3333]

Penn State NROTC here.

Overall it was a good experience. All freshman went on a week long "boot camp" orientation at Fort Indiantown Gap, which was run completely by the upperclassmen. We had mandatory PT every Tuesday morning, the Marine Option guys had it Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. We had a SpecWar group in the Unit as well which was run by a SEAL Officer Candidate that PT'ed all the time. Every Thursday you had to wear your uniform all day and had a Lab in the afternoon where a guest speaker would come and talk. There is a Navy Applied Research Lab on campus, so the Commandant and the CNO were regulars.
To raise money, we worked the Penn State games. Freshman worked 3-4 while seniors only had to work 1. It is basically as time consuming as you want it to be. I was on the Trick Drill team which practiced 2-3 days a week.
I wasn't a big fan of the Naval Science classes, some were more useful then others. Navigation was awful. Also, if you accept a scholarship, then you will be required to complete 2 Physics classes. I was a business major, so struggled a bit in Physics, and have never really used it again. Summer cruises are alot of fun however, I went to Japan on a foreign exchange tour my senior year.

 

[CommodoreMid]

Went to Vanderbilt (hence the name) and absolutely loved my time there.

Our unit was basically like Bevo's in that they expected a lot of professionalism from us, but at the same time recognized that the primary goal was getting our degrees, not playing stupid "hard core" games. Compared to the average Vanderbilt student we had a lot of extra demands on us, but if you had any sense of time management and self discipline about you it wasn't anything major. Most people had enough time to be involved in other things too. I was on honor council, in the marching band, and wrote for a paper on campus, so it's not like NROTC took up my entire life outside of class.

We were in uniform only on Thursdays when we had our lab in the afternoon, naval science classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Marine options PTed on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well and occasionally had humps and field training stuff on weekends. For the rest of the battalion they swung back and forth over my time there on how much mando PT we had. No mando drill outside of lab except for what your platoon commander wanted since we had interplatoon drill competitions every semester. We did have a drill team but that was optional for everyone if I recall correctly.

Only things that I found unenjoyable were our fundraising events, which are pretty much a necessary evil at any NROTC unit it seems. Ours came in the form of working in the bookstore at the beginning weeks of each semester when they hired tons of extra people to deal with all the textbook buying. We also played traffic cop at all the football and basketball games to make sure everyone parked where they were supposed to. Finally, we held a JROTC drill meet in the spring.

In terms of the Marine options, they always told us that there had never been a Vanderbilt student fail OCS. I don't know if that's true, but given the Marine options and the leadership that were there when I was there I believe it.

At the end of the day I loved my time there and would do it all over again. Hell, I want to go back to college now!

 

[CommodoreMid]

Oh and just to caveat everything I said, I graduated in 2008 so while a lot of the stuff is still true, just remember that it only takes a change of command, a change in university policy, or a change in Navy policy to make an experience at a specific ROTC unit swing in the opposite direction. For the most up to date info contact the ROTC units you're interested in and ask to speak to current midshipmen.

 

[sanders]

I went through the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. There are plenty of threads covering our program so I wont go into detail. Freshman year is very time consuming, but after that you can pretty much do your own thing as long as you make it to formations, etc. It definitely prepared me for Marine OCS in a way that other programs can't. The drawback to coming here is that freshman year focuses too much on discipline and traditions, and not enough on preparing you to be a military officer. But I suppose this has its upsides too.

Would I go back and do it again? Haha... I don't know.